Daniel R. Bernard focuses his practice on estate planning, trust and estate administration, estate tax planning, business succession planning, and estate litigation, with an emphasis on estate planning for snowbirds. In fact, Dan literally wrote the book on estate planning for snowbirds, which you can download for free from this site.

Dan’s philosophy on estate planning can be described in three words: originality, efficiency, and quality. Originality, in that Dan does not create cookie cutter assembly line style estate plans, where clients are fit into one of two plans the firm has on file. Rather, Dan creates a unique estate plan for each client that fits each client’s unique life. Efficiency, Dan values both his client’s time and money. So, he endeavors with every estate plan to preserve both of these precious resources. Quality, highest quality counsel and representation is the only counsel Dan supplies. 

Dan has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, and Newsday in articles related to estate planning and taxation issues. Dan has been a guest on the “Ask the Attorney” show, the “Dead Celebrity Podcast,”, the “Law You Should Know” radio show and podcast, and The Real Estate Law Podcast to discuss estate planning for snowbirds.

Dan holds an advanced law degree, a Master of Laws in Taxation, from New York University School of Law. This allows Dan to better assist clients with advanced estate tax planning.

Dan received his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, where he served as the Senior Managing Editor of the Rutgers Law Record. While in law school, Dan worked as a student attorney in the Rutgers Federal Tax Clinic and interned in the Tax Court of New Jersey and the Morris County Surrogate Court. After completing law school, Dan served a one-year clerkship with the Honorable Barbara C. Stolte in the New Jersey Middlesex County Family Court.

Prior to law school. Dan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Temple University, where he double majored in finance and economics. 

Dan is admitted to practice law in New York, Florida, and New Jersey. Dan is an estate planning attorney and partner in the Trusts and Estates department of Otterbourg, P.C., with an office in Manhattan.